A collection of AU one shots about Nami and Paulie
by Ascaisil
Summary: Whew! That title is a mouthful. But it is also accurate. :P This is another series about my favorite couple in One Piece but like it says, it'll be AU. Uh...that's all. xD
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **Okay first, this is different from my other story because all of these one shots will be AU. Some will be in the One Piece world, some won't. This one happens to not be. You may have also noted the rating on this one is different from my other collection, that's because sex is discussed. Not _had_, but talked about. I might dance around the edges a bit but I doubt I'll ever write a lemon. (Truth be told I tried once and nearly died laughing. Some people can, I can't. Let's just leave it at that. :P) Oh and Paulie does have a foul mouth. I might change the rating for the other story at some point because of that. But that doesn't matter here!

Second, Aska of the light, sorry! I told you I was going to do one plot but that story isn't finished and this one was just bouncing around in my head, practically _begging_ to be written so I had to do it first.

Third, just so their is no confusion. This AU takes place in the real world, Paulie and Nami are both around 18 or 19, and they're already together. It's just a little blurb about them, because I love them madly. 3

And Fourth, I do not own them. Don't sue me. :P

* * *

Nami sat on a picnic table, looking out over the lake and little kids playground, feeling bored. She and her long-time boyfriend, Paulie, had been released from their last period class a little early so they had been free to escape their high school…and instead of doing something fun what did he want to do?

She sighed as she gave the blond a look. He had pulled out the application papers for a trade school in shipbuilding and was working on them intently. Really…she loved him dearly but sometimes he was such a _nerd!_

She had assumed he wasn't paying any attention to her so she was surprised when he reached for one of her hands and kissed the back of it. A soft smile slid across her face. She really did love the idiot…

They sat in a content silence for a while, him working on his application, and her watching the flock of ducks as they waddled around near the lake shore. Predictably, it didn't take long for the copper haired girl to become utterly bored again.

It was no fun just sitting here with nothing to do…although, there wasn't really anything to do elsewhere either…she was going to have to think of something to entertain herself.

The teen smiled devilishly. What better way to have fun and entertainment than to go back to her old stand-by of teasing her super shy boyfriend? Now…how to get the reaction she wanted…?

"Hey Paulie…"

Her boyfriend rubbed a finger across the back of her knuckles absently. "Hm?" He didn't look up from his papers so he didn't see the positively evil grin she was bestowing on him.

"If you died in the middle of sex what would you want your gravestone to say?"

The teen choked almost violently, looking up at her with red cheeks and wide eyes. "Say WHAT?!!"

The petite girl laughed. "How would you want them to describe your death if you-"

"I heard you the first time!!" He shouted to cut her off. The poor boy was blushing an almost fire engine red color, from the top of his forehead all the way down his neck. Nami gave him a charming smile. He was so cute.

"Why would you even…?" He knew she was just teasing him because she liked to see him squirm but…what the hell was he suppose to say to something like that?!

"Oh come on…" She leaned back onto her elbows, stretching across the table, and looking relaxed. "You've never thought about it?" Her eyes twinkled at him mischievously. "I think my gravestone would say, 'Death by sex: The risks of the high dive'…" She watched in amusement as he began choking again. "Or maybe something like, 'Death by sex: The fight for dominance'" She giggled at him. "What do you think?" She asked teasingly. "Which one fits me better?"

Paulie broke down into a coughing fit and she leaned over to pound him on the back, used to this reaction. "You…!" He gasped. She should really ease up…with how shy he was she might actually give him a heart attack someday. But…it was just so _funny!!!_

Nami leaned down so that when he looked up they were nose to nose. "How about, 'Death by sex: For the love of bondage'?"

Her boyfriend wind milled his arms as he tried to scoot back from her and then fell off the bench. Unable to contain herself any longer the copper haired teen burst into peels of laughter. She held her stomach and pounded one hand on the picnic table as she gasped for air, tears of mirth coming to her eyes. "I…! You…!" She rolled onto her back, still laughing hysterically, unable to even finish a sentence.

Paulie had stopped flailing on the ground and was just lying on his back, glaring daggers at his sweetheart as she continued her laughing fit at his expense. "You are an evil, evil woman." He said bluntly as he finally pushed himself into an upright position. "I hate you…" He muttered grumpily. Thankfully his blush had begun to fade…it seemed she had embarrassed him enough to be satisfied.

"I…," She took in a deep breath, controlling her laughter, and smiled down at him fondly. "I love you."

"You'd better!" He muttered, still frowning at her.

Still smiling angelically she reached down to help him back up, rolling herself back into an upright position and reaching for her back pack. As her embarrassed boyfriend resettled himself on the bench she pulled out the remains of her unfinished lunch, grabbed the orange, and dumped the rest back into her bag.

Paulie would sulk for a while and then forgive her, so in the mean time she began tossing the fruit into the air and catching it, the cheerful grin never leaving her face, and allowed him to go back to work on his application. Eventually she began peeling the orange, offering some to her still fuming sweetheart and giggling when he refused grumpily.

She knew she shouldn't but…

"What about-"

The blond knew her too well. As soon as she had begun to speak he grabbed an orange slice and shoved it into her mouth, forcing her to chew and swallow instead of taunt him. He glared at her and she relented. "Love you…" She said sweetly again. He didn't respond, but he did reach out and grab her hand again.

Smiling the beautiful girl lay back against the table again. Paulie was such an easy mark, but she loved him dearly, and loved that he put up with her in spite of her constant teasings.

She turned her face to the side to watch him work again, a tender smile on her face. "I love you." She repeated, feeling her affection for him swelling again.

He finally relented and looked back at her. Sighing, she could tell he had forgiven her, he leaned down and kissed her sweetly. "I love you too."

* * *

**AN: **Lol! So that's that. Just a little bit of funny fluff between the two. And just in case you're interested, I thought of the topic because it was a conversation two of my dearest friends and I had like...six years ago. xD It's become a common joke between us now and the idea of Nami and Paulie discussing it just made me laugh, which is why I decided to write it down. I may or may not do a couple of other inside jokes as stories...my best friends don't read/watch One Piece so they'll never see these and that makes it less fun. :(

Um...I think I'm rambling now, so I'm gonna go...clean my house like I was _supposed _to be doing. :P


	2. Bedtime Story

**AN:**Yay~!! I _finally_ finished another AU one shot!! xD For some reason it's a lot harder to think of AU plot lines...of course that was before I wrote this and fell in love with the concept...There will probably be more in the future like this, though I still have no idea what kind of updating schedule I'll have. School is kicking my poor lazy bum. xD

So notes....Um...I don't own One Piece, which is very sad. I told my husband that's what I want for my birthday but I don't think that's what I'll be getting. :P

Aska the Light: Mwahahaha! I finally finished one!! And now I will go and work on that _other_ story that was suppose to be the _first_ AU one-shot and is now a million chapter story! xD But actually...I've been working a bit on my random ZoRo stuff and this story has given me an idea of doing a similar one for them...:D Eeeee!! Total cuteness abounds!!  
**

* * *

**

Nami brushed the hair from her eyes as she helped her daughter into bed. Five year old Bell snuggled into her blankets; a smile covering her whole face, bed time was the best part of the day. The little girl looked up at her mother expectantly.

"Well then," The navigator began. "What sort of story do you want tonight?" Her little fists clenched into her blanket as she grinned up at her waiting parent. "Tell me a story about you and daddy!" She begged.

Nami's lips twitched in amusement. "A story about daddy and I huh? Well…" She paused as she sorted through her memories. There were quite a few 'stories' about the beautiful woman and her husband…but nothing she was willing to divulge until her daughter was at least ten years older.

Probably the safest story she had was…

"A long time ago sweetie, before Uncle Luffy became the pirate king…"

~Nami, Robin, and Chopper were strolling along the streets of Water 7, talking idly on their way back to the Galley-La Company HQ. The pirate navigator had met up with her two companions on her way back to their crew's temporary home and the three had cheerfully continued towards their destination. The enormous gates of Dock No.1 loomed into sight as the two women chatted amicably about their hopes for the new ship, with Chopper trotting along beside them, his nose buried in a book.

Robin held the smaller gate open and allowed her companions to pass by her and enter first. Used to the comings and goings of the town's newest hero's the carpenters and shipwrights didn't bother them as they let themselves into the large compound.

* * *

"It'll take about a week." Paulie informed his customers. The pirate crew behind them grumbled but their leader silenced them with a look then turned back to the head foreman. "A week will be fine." The pirate said coolly.

Used to pirates and their idiotic sense of self-importance the shipwright ignored his tone. "Now, to get down to expenses…"

He broke off as Lulu touched his shoulder. "They're back." The dark haired man grinned and Paulie could tell his eyes were twinkling with mischief even behind his sunglasses. "I'll finish up here."

The blond grunted sourly. Somehow, and he wasn't even _sure_ how it had happened, he had been made the "official representative" of the Galley-La Company in regards to the Strawhat Pirates, and everyone took great enjoyment out of teasing him for it.

It wasn't that he disliked the Strawhats, because he _did_ like them…What he _didn't_ like was their navigator's constant flirting and teasing. That woman was absolutely shameless!! And the more she flirted the more embarrassed he would get, which only made her flirt more…it was a constant cycle, one that would kill him eventually, he was sure of it.

"I'll leave this to you then." He said, letting his displeasure be heard in his voice. Lulu ignored his feelings as he cheerfully waved goodbye. "Have fun!"

Paulie cursed and turned to stalk away from his co-worker and towards the front gates…bad luck for him. Nami was among the three. And, judging by the bags they carried, he guessed they had been on _another_ shopping spree.

"Good afternoon Paulie-san." Nico Robin addressed him as he stopped in front of them. The tiny doctor, Tony Tony Chopper, gave him a brief wave before going back to his book, and the wicked smile Nami wore whenever he was near her slipped back up onto her face. "Hello." She said silkily.

Not bothering to answer to their greetings he got down to business…there was no doubt he would argue with her sooner or later, the blond figured he might as well get in a few shots before she did something that would make him stammer incoherently., thus losing the fight.

"You'd _think_ that with all these clothes you buy you'd be able to find something to cover yourself decently."

Nami's eyes narrowed but he continued. "Did you not own enough when you were a kid and now you're trying to make up for it or something? Or are you so spoiled that you _need_ a new outfit for every single day?"

The petite woman's hands balled into fists around the straps of her bags, her eyes flashing. Aware of the danger signs her two companions had already begun their retreat to the building. "Don't be out here flirting for too long you two." The raven haired woman said good naturedly as she passed but they both ignored her.

The navigator opened her mouth to blast him but then stopped, her eyes widening as she looked at something over his shoulder.

Thinking he had the upper hand Paulie grinned privately…for less than a second…Nami's face had gone completely white, and her fingers had gone limp, allowing her precious bags to slip through them, landing with a crash as something that sounded expensive shattered inside.

Robin and Chopper had turned back as the noise caught their attention, and even the blond had leaned forward, ready to ask if she was alright before a voice spoke from behind him.

"It's been a while….Nami."

Paulie looked back over his own shoulder at the seven foot pirate that had apparently followed him across the complex. "?" The merman was looking down at the human woman with what could only be described as an evil look in his eye.

"Arlong…"

The head foreman looked back and forth between the copper haired woman before him and the shark man behind him. That they knew each other was obvious. And that whatever history between them was bad was also obvious…Nami looked completely terrified, her face still pale and her whole body was shaking…looking at the frail woman the shipwright felt strangely protective of her.

Without having to think about it he reached out and took her arm, moving her towards her two nakama who were also looking at the merman with puzzled faces. "Nami…go inside." He said quietly before he turned back to the pirate behind him.

"I don't know what's between you two but there is _no fighting_ between pirates allowed on Galley-La property." Confidently he crossed his arms over his chest, a thin column of cigar smoke trailing out of his mouth. "Also…this pirate crew is under Galley-La protection." He continued calmly. "Whatever beef you have with them, you'll have to take it up with us first."

The merman finally looked away from his prey, taking in the shipwright's stance, his own eyes narrowing.

"Move human…" His voice was soft but clearly audible, filled with dangerous malice. "I'm going to rip that woman to shreds with my bare hands."

He heard the quick intake of air behind him and he frowned harder. Nami hadn't gone inside…

Having to ignore her for the moment he re-focused on the threat in front of him. _'So much for negotiating.'_ The blond thought grimly. "Over my dead body." Was all he said out loud.~

* * *

"Eeeeeee!!"

Nami pulled herself back from her memories to look at her daughter with raised eyebrows. The little girl was rolling in her blankets a dreamy look in her eye. "Daddy saved you~!!" She sing songed and then sighed theatrically. "I wanna be saved some day…"

The copper haired woman hid a smile behind her hand as she forced herself not to laugh…at five Bellemere was becoming _quite_ the romantic. "Well…maybe someday you will." She said in amusement. "But I thought you wanted to hear about daddy saving _me_?"

Obediently the child stopped squirming, giving her mother her full attention again. Nami nodded approvingly. "Now then…

* * *

~"Over my dead body."

Nami jerked back, finally pulling her eyes away from her childhood tormentor to look at the shipwright's back in front of her.

'_What is he saying?!'_

Her shock at seeing her mother's murderer again after so long was fading, to be replaced with angry fear. She thought he had gone to jail…Oh how she wished he was rotting in some prison for the rest of his life! But he wasn't. He was here, and she was suddenly in the same position she had been in during her last visit to Kokoyashi Village. Her hatred of the shark man aside, her fear for Galley-La's head foreman began to dominate her mind.

Paulie was undoubtedly strong, but he couldn't take a merman could he?! They were _ten times_ stronger than the average human! She had to stop him before he did or said something even more stupid! Luffy…wasn't Luffy inside the building?!

She jerked again as one slim hand slid around her wrist. Robin had silently come up on one side of her, Chopper on the other. The dark haired woman had a questioning look on her face, but Nami knew she was still ready to spring into action.

"Chopper…." The navigator hastily licked her dry lips and tried to speak again. "Chopper…Go get Luffy."

The small reindeer looked back at the enormous fishman hesitantly. "But…"

"Hurry!" She said softly, her own urgency sounding in her voice. "You too Robin."

The older woman gave her an unreadable look before releasing her and turning to their doctor. "Let's hurry Chopper-kun."

Under the archeologist's guidance the younger pirate also left Nami's side and the two walked quickly into the building that housed the rest of their crew.

In front of her Arlong had been watching Paulie with narrowed eyes, attempting to see if he was serious or not. Apparently the shark man decided he was because he threw back his head and laughed. "As you wish then…I'll kill her and then you too!"

Even though she knew it was coming there was no way for her to dodge fast enough. The merman launched himself at her, and even on dry land he was much too fast. She felt herself stumble on her dropped bags as she tried to move away, tripping backwards she began falling. Nami squeezed her eyes shut, her terror briefly overriding all her other senses. This was it…

She felt herself land on the ground, her arms thrown up over her head uselessly to ward off the murderer…but nothing happened. After a second she peeked open one eye and then they both flew open as she gasped up at the sight in front of her.

Arlong's long, razor sharp nose had blood dripping down it, falling off at the tip, barely three feet from her face…the blood was oozing slowly from Paulie's shoulder, which had been impaled when he stepped in between her and her tormentor. The blond had both hands on the fishman's shoulders, and the skid marks in the dirt at his feet attested to the struggle he had just won.

Despite Arlong's terrible strength the shipwright had stopped him from reaching her.

"P-Paulie…"

The blond didn't acknowledge her, choosing instead to focus completely on the raging pirate in front of him. "I told you…you have a problem with them you gotta deal with _us_ first…" A trickle of blood leaked slowly from the corner of his mouth, and he had lost his cigar in the attack, but his icy blue eyes didn't waver.

* * *

**

"Luffy!!!" Chopper burst into the apartment set aside for their use, gasping for breath. Zoro looked up at him as Robin stepped into the room behind him.

"?"

"Where's Luffy?!" The zoan fruit user whipped his head back and forth, frantically looking for him missing captain.

"He left with ero-cook a few minutes ago…what's..?"

The doctor let out a pitiful moan. "Oh man!! Nami said I had to get him and he's _gone?!_"

The dark haired woman had also given the apartment a brief look before focusing on the swordsman. "They just left?" She asked. He nodded, one eye brow rising at Chopper's frantic whimpering. "To go shopping for dinner tonight?" Again he nodded.

"Doctor-kun!" Robin's voice was sharp as she pulled his attention back to her. "They only left a bit ago, and you _know_ where Cook-kun goes shopping. Quickly, you can go and bring them back."

Giving the older woman a grateful look the reindeer ran back out of the room, presumably after their cook and captain.

"What was that all about?" Zoro leaned comfortably against his head board again; they had interrupted his post-lunch nap.

Instead of answering Robin looked at him thoughtfully. "Kenshin-san…" She began slowly. "Who is 'Arlong'?"

He blinked, the only sign of his surprise. "Arlong was a merman that Luffy beat in Kokoyashi. He was holding Nami's village hostage, and killed her mother, or something like that."

The raven haired woman looked up at the ceiling, one hand cupping her chin thoughtfully. "I…see…" She said. "That would explain why Nami was so afraid when she saw him…"

Zoro shrugged. "Yeah probably…" And then what she said caught up with him. "Wait a minute! He's here?!" Instantly the swordsman was off of his bed, one hand touching the familiar hilts of his katana.

"I believe Paulie-san was going to deal with him…but he _did_ have his whole crew…" Robin looked back at him. "Shall we go lend him a hand Kenshin-san?" She asked in a bright voice, but the other pirate smiled darkly. She could pretend to be cheerful but Robin wasn't about to let _anyone_ hurt her people, and Zoro knew that the quiet woman was capable of more violence than the others on their crew…maybe even _him_…In fact, it was something that one could say he almost admired about her. Robin wasn't bloodthirsty but she wasn't afraid of getting dirty either, and Zoro liked that.

"I'd be up for that." Was all he said and the two Strawhat pirates left their apartments again, retracing her steps down the hall to the shipyards.

**

* * *

The scene which they intruded on wasn't pleasant. The carpenters and shipwrights had all stopped their work and were staring in astonishment at the fight taking place next to the front gates.

Nami was sitting on the ground, staring up at the head foreman, who was holding the shark man back, the swordfish nose stabbed through his shoulder. The crew of fishmen had gathered closer to the fight their leader was in, preparing to attack, when the two pirates entered.

Beside her she saw Zoro smirk as he slid his katana out of their sheaths. "Well look at that…" His voice wasn't overly loud but in the quiet of the shipyards it was clearly audible. "It's not every day you see sushi walking around…"

The dark haired woman smiled dangerously in response. There were times when she very much enjoyed working with the swordsman…and this was one of them. She appreciated how violent he could be without fearing it, and in return he offered her the same courtesy.

Grimly they came up on either side of their fallen navigator who looked up at them with wide eyes. "Guys…" She whispered.

Though Robin would have preferred the younger woman going inside, despite her attitude she was relatively innocent to the kind of violence her shipmates had in mind, but she knew it was unlikely to happen, so instead she said softly, "You'd better move back Nami-chan…" And then moved her arms up until they made a 'V' shape across her chest. ~

* * *

"Oo! Oo! I know what happens next!!"

Nami sighed as her daughter sat upright in bed again.

"Then you guys beat all the bad guys up!!" The strawberry blond five year old made a few punching motions and Nami silently made a note to knock Luffy around for teaching her daughter how to punch correctly. The kid was enough trouble without having to deal with angry parents when she knocked out bullies on the playground!!

"That's right. We-"

But her daughter had already jumped back up on the bed excitedly. "And then, and then..! Uncle Usopp came in and shot them from a _million_ miles away!!!" This time she made the motion of drawing back a sling shot and Nami had to give into her laughter. Though she probably was unaware of it Bellemere had a tendency to stick her tongue out when she tried shooting Usopp's old sling shot, and even without it being in her hands her little pink tongue was poking out the side of her mouth.

"Hey hey! Who's telling this story?" Still laughing she caught her daughter in a hug and then pointed to the bed covers. Sighing, Bell climbed back under them, arranging herself comfortably, and then looked at her mother with an "Alright-you-may-continue" face.

The navigator shook her head…what a little drama queen!!

* * *

~There was a tense moment in the shipyard as the fish pirates glared at Zoro apprehensively. They apparently remembered him from Kokoyashi…

It was Paulie who moved first, grunting with effort he shoved their leader back, the sickening sound of the shark man's nose leaving his shoulder clearly heard.

Straightening the blond glared at the enormous pirate, reaching up with one hand to wipe the blood away from his mouth. Around them the workers of Galley-La, finally pulling themselves out of their own shock, had begun to close in, making threatening motions before the head foreman held out one arm. "You all stay out of this!!" He commanded. His eyes still hadn't left Arlong.

"But Paulie-san…" One man tried to cut in.

"You've still got work to do…if it's not done by the time I'm done cleaning this mess up…" He left it hanging, and then nodded slightly as his men hastily went back to their own tasks. Neither Lulu nor Tyselin had even bothered trying to step in…they knew him too well. Zoro and Robin…well this was their fight too so he could allow that.

The leader of the mermen pirates laughed again. "You think…_you_ can beat _us_?!" The shark snapped his head to the right so that the remaining blood droplets flew off of his nose. "Don't think for one minute that you-"

Whatever threat he would have breathed out at them was cut off suddenly by a bird of flame and a voice shouting, "Ultimate Firebird Star!!" It impacted directly with the pirate leader and exploded violently.

Unnecessary though it was, Paulie couldn't help but look up to the roof of the building behind him at the sniper. He was wearing that ridiculous mask again.

The teen pointed down at the group of fishmen. "Hmph! You'd better start running now!" The sniper's voice was deeper than normal as he donned his other persona. "For I am the great Sogeking!! And I have over 8,000 followers ready to attack whenever I command!!"

Shaking his head at the weird pirate's antics the shipwright looked back to the enemy pirate crew, who were giving each other mystified looks…apparently they didn't know what to make of the lunatic in a cape either.

His attention was once again diverted from them by Nami's soft voice. "Usopp…" He heard her shift as she stood up again. Glancing back over his shoulder he saw the copper haired navigator smile shakily and then take in a deep breath, looking at the ground as she tried to control her tears of gratitude.

When she looked up again the fire had re-lit in her eyes and she pulled out her blue bo staff, twirling it expertly and then snapping the pieces together. She looked past him at the fishmen, a challenging smile rising to her lips. "Shall we?" She said softly to the three standing close to her.

Shaking his head slightly he allowed two ropes to snake down his arms, preparing to fight. Nami was one insane woman…The blond couldn't help the smirk that crossed his features…but he had to admit, he liked her fire.

* * *

The fight between the Arlong pirates and the Strawhat pirates (minus a few members and plus one shipwright) was less like a brawl and more like an all out war.

The Strawhat's knew each other so well, knew their comrade's fighting styles and abilities, that they worked together as a perfect team, even with their extra member.

The fishmen were undeniably dangerous but above the water they were uncoordinated and more often than not they got in each others way.

Which isn't to say it was easy to beat them.

They _were_ ten times stronger than the average human…unfortunately for them they were not fighting average humans.

Nami and Usopp (or Sogeking) did massive amounts of damage at a distance, leaving unconscious or severely injured pirates in their wake. Paulie's seemingly limitless supply of rope meant he could attack from any range, doing as much damage in close combat as in distance, and vise versa.

Zoro was like a natural disaster. The damage the young human was capable of was comparable to that of Aqua Laguna's yearly raid on the city. Everywhere he went enemies were left slaughtered on the ground.

But really…Nico Robin was the worst.

Her quick and nimble movements kept her out of reach of any foe while using her devil fruit powers on anyone unfortunate enough to be close. At the end of it all there were more bodies left broken from her agile attacks than burnt, cut, or beaten combined…If anyone had not taken her seriously before they would never make that mistake again. The quiet and beautiful woman had a streak of cruelty when she fought that made the watching carpenters shiver.

Unfortunately, due to the size of the fight, no one was sure _who_ had taken down the merman leader…though it was suspected that they all took a crack at him since he showed signs of _all_ their fighting styles. Though they didn't know who had taken him down the important thing was that he _was_ down…and not likely to be getting up again anytime soon.

The Strawhat's had suffered their own injuries. Several of Zoro's ribs had been bruised when a merman had gotten in a lucky shot. The wound in Paulie's shoulder had torn while he fought and he ended up with 15 stitches. Thankfully Nami and Robin were unharmed but Usopp had managed to twist his ankle, not from fighting but when he tried to climb off the roof, the masked hero slipped and rolled half way down, hitting it several times before he came to a dazed stop.

The most damage, however, was sustained by the shipyards themselves…

Which is how the Strawhat pirates, and one guilty carpenter, found themselves in Iceburg's office, getting the berating of their lives.

The mayor had told them in no uncertain terms that fights between pirates were strictly forbidden on Galley-La property, for the very reason of how much damage could be caused. He reminded them of the damage done by their captain (and Franky) _before_ Aqua Laguna and angrily told them he had let it slid in gratitude but further destruction of company property would not be tolerated.

And after the four pirates had apologized the young president had turned to the head foreman, his shouts getting much louder and angrier…Paulie had _known_ the rules after all.~

* * *

"Grandpa Iceburg is really grumpy isn't he?" Bell asked her mother. The five year old's eyes had begun drooping and she was desperately trying to stay awake to hear the end of the story.

"Hmm…Well sometimes." Nami gently brushed the strawberry blond curls off her daughter's forehead. "But, in that case, he kinda had the right. We _did_ cause him a lot of trouble…"

The child yawned and then tucked her hands under her pillow, close to her face. "Then what happened mommy?" She asked drowsily.

Nami smiled.

* * *

~As soon as Iceburg had released them from his office Usopp had made some lame excuse and then escaped…embarrassed by the fact that he had jumped into the fight when he wasn't a part of the "team."

Robin had smiled, rather brightly for someone who had just been so severely chastised, and said she was going to wrap Zoro's ribs. The swordsman had protested but she had apparently not heard him because she herded him down the hall and towards their apartments, clearly ignoring him as he grumbled about "pushy women."

Paulie had begun stalking away in the opposite direction. _He_ at least was extremely unhappy with his punishment…but after a few seconds Nami followed, jogging slightly to catch up.

"……"

They walked for a few moments in silence before the copper haired woman finally worked up the nerve to speak. "Thank you." She said softly.

Whatever he had expected, that wasn't it.

Paulie blinked a few times and then nodded. "You're welcome." He said unsurely. There was a few more moments of silence…

"Why…?"

When he looked back down at her the navigator's face was turned away but he saw her fingers trembling as she had crossed her arms and was holding her shoulders.

"Why what?" He had been wandering a little aimlessly, not sure what to say to her, and they had ended up at his rarely used office. Shrugging slightly he opened the door and let her follow him in.

"Why…" The young pirate paused, trying to gather her thoughts. "You said 'Over my dead body.' Why would you say that? Why would you go that far?"

For perhaps the first time since he had met her Nami was looking lost.

Even when they had been chasing after Nico Robin she hadn't looked like this…she had a clear purpose then and there was no room in her to doubt it…but now she sat on the edge of his desk, a very open and honest confusion on her face.

For some reason Paulie felt his own fingers trembling slightly, and he suddenly had to swallow hard as he looked down at her.

"Uh…I dunno…Um…" He leaned next to her on the edge of his desk, more for something to do than because he was tired. "You were all…." He stopped. How could he explain that she had looked so small and delicate that he had wanted to take care of her?

The pirate had looked down at her hands which were on her lap. "You meant it though…?" It was more a statement than a question; she knew he _would_ have died for her out there…

"Well…yeah…" Nervously the blond looked at her and then away again. Nami had looked up, her hands linked now; as she stared across the office at the door, a serene smile on her face…She was actually…really pretty when she smiled like that…

"Thank you." She said again, her voice completely sincere.

The blond reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling it begin to burn. Her openness was…well he like it but at the same time it was making his heart race, and he didn't like _that_…

"You know Paulie…"

He looked back at her and then gulped. Her familiar teasing smile was back, but it was still mixed with that open vulnerability and it was…The shipwright felt his face begin burning too. Nami's flirting usually embarrassed the hell out of him, but this rare _openness_ was extremely attractive and her flirting smile mixed with it was playing havoc with his brain.

"It's usually customary for a lady to give her hero a kiss."

Paulie could tell his breath had quickened and he desperately tried to regain some control of the situation. "Who's a lady?" But she saw through his ploy and scooted a little closer, making him swallow hard again.

Since she was so much shorter she had to twist her body up until she was kneeling on his desk, smiling at him as he shakily put his weight on his arms. He leaned away from her but didn't stand to escape and eventually, ever so slowly and teasingly, Nami leaned up over him and pressed her lips to his…~

* * *

Moving her coppery hair behind one ear Nami tucked the blankets up around her sleeping child, smiling gently. "Goodnight Bellemere." She said softly, leaning down to kiss her daughter's forehead.

Quietly the navigator turned off the bedside lap and retreated to the door. Giving one last, loving look at the sleeping girl she shut the door.

"So you gave me a kiss huh?"

Nami jumped.

Paulie had somehow managed to sneak up on her as she exited their daughter's room, and was now smirking down at her sexily.

Allowing her own smirk to slide onto her face the petite woman looked back up at him. "I _did_ kiss you as I recall." She said flirtatiously.

Her husband leaned down over her, kissing her just below the ear and then whispered, "I seem to recall a _lot_ more than just kissing happening."

Taking advantage of the situation she slipped her slender arms up around his neck. "Well…you wouldn't want me explaining all _that_ to her would you?" She said innocently. "Because I _can_ go wake her up to tell her the rest of the story." She kissed his cheek as he chuckled, and then let out a tiny squeak of surprise as he suddenly swept her into his arms.

Confidentially he carried her down the hall and away from their child's door. "Nope." He kissed the tip of her nose, making her laugh, and then leaned in to kiss her quite a bit more thoroughly on the lips, making her shiver. "Story time is over…I want a reenactment." He murmured sexily.

Nami shivered again, smiling widely at him as he kicked the door of their room shut. "I think I can do that." She purred.

* * *

**AN: **So that's that. :D I freaking love those two...and the idea of them having kids has somehow stuck itself into my mind. Like I said before...there will probably be more like this now. :P

If you're wondering why Bellemere kept interrupting: Have you ever _tried_ telling a five year old a bedtime story?! Well I have. And believe me, kids either want to dictate what's going to happen, or they want to be the one to tell it if they know what's gonna happen. Besides...it was cute to show that she had some of Nami's personality...beating up bullies, being a drama queen...sound familiar? lol!

And for my sister, who I _know_ would say this about the end, _"Scandalous!!"_ Yes it was a bit, I thought about getting into what happened in the office but I'm pretty sure you guys can figure that out without my help. xD

Oh and...um...as for why Arlong wasn't in jail....well it wasn't relevant to the plot so I didn't go into it. :P

(P.S. If anyone can think of a good reason for why he wasn't in jail you should tell me...'cause that way _I'll_ have a good reason! lol!!!)


	3. Movies

**AN:** Another little one shot, obviously I took a couple of challenges and threw them in together. Hope you guys enjoy. I'm gonna go back to freezing my ass off. ;-;

* * *

One Hour Challenge #22 by Dertupio

**Your 'Couple' meet in a Cinema and end up having a popcorn war**

One Hour Challenge #361 by Dertupio

**"I hate you! Shut up and kiss me!"**

One Hour Challenge #524 by Dertupio

**"Maybe we just kissed, but that doesn't mean that I like you!"**

One Hour Challenge #591 by Dertupio

**"Can I consider this our first date?"**

One Hour Challenge #641 by Dertupio

**"I don't think it'll take much trying. . .but if you insist!"**

* * *

Nami sank into the plush theater seat with a sigh of satisfaction. It had really been too long since she had taken a day out for herself…usually she was too busy trying to keep Luffy out of trouble…but not today! Today she had foisted him off on Usopp and Sanji; and if those two knew what was good for them they wouldn't even _try_ calling her for help…

The copper haired girl realized she had begun frowning darkly and immediately smoothed her brow out again. She wasn't going to let anyone or anything spoil her day out.

Smiling in contentment she wiggled a little more comfortably into her seat; absently watching the ads flash on the theater screen and tossing m&m's into her mouth. So far she had the entire theater to herself.

She giggled; it was unlikely that anyone else was going to come in either…she had specifically chosen a horror movie that was on it's last week in the theater for that purpose. A scary movie that had been out for nearly a month? Anyone who had wanted to see it would have already!

Letting all her worldly cares slip away the navigator's eyes slid shut as she waited for the theater to darken and her entertainment to start.

Minutes later her peace was shattered by an annoying voice she knew.

"Oh great. It's _you_."

Eyes snapping open Nami turned her head to glare furiously at the person who dared intrude on her alone time. Paulie was at least a foot and a half taller than her, with shoulder-length blond hair that was kept out of his face by orange goggles, and bright blue eyes. The pain-in-her-ass shipwright worked at the Galley-La Company, which was owned by Franky's adopted brother; every time she went there he would find _some_ way to annoy the hell out of her…

And now he was ruining her day _off_?

"Ugh!" She snapped back at the blond. "What are _you_ doing here?"

He snorted as he took a seat down the row from her. "I came to watch a movie, obviously." The tall man stretched his legs out comfortably, tucking an extra large bucket of popcorn into the seat next to him, and then proceeded to ignore her.

The petite woman's teeth ground in irritation. That _jerk_! Here she was, trying to relax, and he had to come along and ruin everything! Crossing her legs in irritation she glared back up at the screen, muttering insults at her unwanted companion under her breath. As much as she would have _liked_ to ignore him the navigator was angrily aware that her sanctuary had been invaded; unconsciously her chocolate colored eyes kept peeking at him.

For the most part the blond was scowling at the screen fiercely, apparently as unhappy seeing her as she was seeing _him_. A smirk worked it's way onto her face as the shipwright absently pulled a cigar out of his coat pocket and put it in his mouth; Paulie was _far_ to much of a goodie-goodie to break the rules by actually smoking it in the theater, but the stupid man was so addicted that it seemed he couldn't go without at least having one on him at all times.

She snickered and then began twirling her hair around one finger innocently when his eyes snapped over to her.

"What?"

"Hmm?" Keeping her voice utterly bored the navigator turned to face him head on. "What was that, you _jerk_?"

His eyebrow twitched in severe irritation. "Oh nothing, you _brat_."

Simultaneously the two turned away from each other with matching 'hmph!' sounds of annoyance.

Sighing, this time in boredom, again Nami went back to watching the ads while waiting for the lights to darken. Uncrossing her bare legs the navigator pushed them up onto the seat in front of her instead, propping them up the way you aren't suppose to in theaters. It wasn't like there was anyone there to object.

Across from her she distinctly heard the shipwright mutter something that sounded a lot like, "Shameless woman!"

Arching one eyebrow coolly she glared at him again. "What did you say?"

It was _his_ turn to smirk at her in that irritating way he had. "I didn't say anything." She didn't buy his innocent act for a minute…

The two continued to pick at each other subtly for several minutes until they were rescued by the dimming of the lights as the credits began to roll.

The navigator found herself yawning, still feeling bored, as a few movie previews played, she certainly _hoped_ the movie would entertain her more than _this_!

But finally the spooky music began playing as the beginning credits appeared; she watched, starting to feel amused, as a couple of teenagers walked through the creepy woods together, holding hands. There was some annoying chatter as the teen tried to tell his girlfriend how much he liked her, and how different he was from other guys, and then the moon came out, triggering his transformation into what was _supposed _to be a werewolf.

The girl onscreen began screaming and Nami couldn't stop herself from snickering at the overall cheesiness of it, when something hit her cheek.

Jerking back in surprised confusion the copper haired woman touched her face; there was nothing there…how weird!

Brushing it off as her imagination she focused again on the movie; the silly girl was still screaming as she ran through the woods, looking over her shoulder while flailing her arms helplessly.

As the werewolf continued to gain on his supposed "girlfriend" the petite woman was again struck on the cheek by something…something quick, light, and _buttery_.

It had fallen on her lap this time and as she picked up to examine it she was hit again. Eyes flashing in annoyance Nami recognized the flying projectiles as pieces of popcorn; turning to glare daggers at the only other person in the theater she was greeted with the sight of a seemingly oblivious Paulie, happily munching down on his popcorn and watching the film.

Gritting her teeth again she looked back at the screen; if he tried that _one more time_…

An irritated growl slipped past her lips as one bounced off the top of her head. "Cut it out!" She snapped at the shipwright. His brows furrowed as if he had no idea what she was talking about and he put one finger to his lips. "Shhhh!"

Fingers twitching with the desire to throttle the man across from her she did so.

He left her alone for several minutes; onscreen the female lead had somehow escaped her furry boyfriend in the woods and was now running through the rural part of town. She had stopped screaming, (which made no sense, _now_ was the perfect time to be screaming and getting other people's attention!) but she was plainly scared out of her wits. Her skirt was dirty and torn with leaves in her hair so Nami surmised she must have fallen in the woods while she had been glaring at the carpenter.

As if the thought called him another piece of buttery refreshment bounced off the side of her head. Her lips pressed into a thin line. _Fine_, if he wanted a war, he was going to _get_ a war!

Turning her head slightly she could see the smile playing at the corner of his mouth and her lips tilted upwards into a matching smirk. He had _no_ idea the horror he was unleashing on himself.

Taking aim the navigator flicked her own sticky treat at him, silently laughing when he jumped slightly; she had turned interested eyes back to the movie by the time he turned to glare at her.

The blond shifted in his seat, (probably grumbling under his breath,) and again they were quiet.

Smiling lazily Nami flicked another piece at him, waited a few seconds, and then flicked another. He was _definitely_ glaring at her now, she could practically _feel_ it! Inwardly she gave herself a pat on the back.

Another piece of popcorn hit her cheek; she retaliated with one that hit his.

For several _more_ minutes the two continued to inconspicuously bombard each other with popcorn, getting bolder with each hit.

A particularly buttery piece got stuck in her hair, her next one hit the side of his nose; his next shot missed her completely, whereas _hers_ hit him directly…in the eye.

"Ouch! Dammit!"

Turning to face her, the shipwright's glare intensified. "What the hell?" He snarled. "That _hurt_!"

Briefly she thought about giving him a cool answer and then ignoring him, it would probably end the fight…but the navigator was _annoyed_! Annoyed that he had shown up, annoyed that he had ruined her day out, and annoyed that she couldn't even sit back and enjoy the stupid B horror film in peace!

She deliberately stuck her tongue out at him instead.

Paulie didn't even try to be covert this time; his hand dipped into the popcorn bucket at his side and he tossed an entire _handful_ at her.

"Kyaaa!" Ducking to protect her beautiful coppery hair Nami accidentally hit her forehead against the seat in front of her. Swearing in pain as well as anger she tossed a handful back at him.

Two or three more times they did this before the shipwright stood up, a furious look on his face, and stomped over to her. She was so surprised that she didn't react in time and found his _entire_ container of the buttery treat dumped over her head.

She jumped up with a shriek. "Paulie! I will _kill_ you!" The blond was smirking at her from his superior height, with arms crossed he was definitely giving off an 'I've won' vibe.

Forget that!

"It went down my shirt you jackass!" He went bright red, as she _knew_ he would, and she used the time to grab her popcorn bucket and heave the remainder of it's contents at the man in front of her.

He began sputtering too.

"Nami!"

She wasn't going to sit back and wait for him to recover! Jumping onto her seat so she could reach she grabbed what remained of her bag of m&m's, pulled his jacket away from his neck, and dumped them down his back.

He flailed at the unexpected move, knocking her by the hip which made _her_ fight to keep her balance, before he slipped on the chocolaty snack, landed on his back, and she tripped off her chair to land on top of him.

"Oof!" Air exploded from his chest, she could feel his breath in her hair, as she landed on him; her nose had been smooshed against his chest, (she hadn't ever realized it was so _hard_ before!) and was now stinging.

Blinking away the dots in front of her eyes from her hard landing the navigator looked up to scream at him and then choked on her words; he was _much _closer than she had thought!

Lifting her head put their eyes level with each other, his mouth inches away; she was so close that she could feel his breath on her lips, and _hear_ when he sucked in his breath sharply.

She didn't know how many seconds passed as they stared in uncomfortable awareness of each other before she leaned forward and kissed him.

His hands had somehow found her back and she found herself pressed to him firmly as he kissed her _back_!

Whatever had come over them retreated and they pulled back simultaneously to stare at each other in pure mortification.

"I…" She licked her lips nervously; eyes widening when his zeroed in on her mouth. "I-I plead temporary insanity!" Her words were a desperate attempt to recover her dignity, which seemed to break him out of _his_ dazed state.

"Maybe we just kissed, but that doesn't mean I like you!" His voice was hoarse as he replied.

Feeling that the best thing would be to get as _far_ away from the blond as possible Nami tried to pull back, forgetting where they were, and ended up slamming the back of her head against the underside of her seat. "Ouch! Dammit!"

She fell right back on top of him holding her stinging head; she felt his breath against her ear which made her shiver and tense up unconsciously. Since she was sitting on him this meant that her legs accidentally gave him a squeeze.

Beyond embarrassed now the navigator wanted to get away but her second escape attempt was blocked by two very strong hands holding her in place.

"Wha…?"

Paulie kissed her again, and she responded immediately. Their second kiss was much longer, and even a little steamy as she unthinkingly opened her mouth and he copied her. When they ran out of air they pulled back, but he only gave her enough time to gasp before he dragged her lips back to his; over and over and over again.

Eventually they broke away from each other, both of them blushing up to their ears and breathing heavily. "Y-you…!" Her voice trembled but she couldn't smooth it out. "You _kissed_ me!"

There was a slight twitch against her waist as his fingers slid against her. "You kissed me _first_!" It was a relief that his voice didn't sound any more steady than hers did.

"W-well…" Her heart was pounding in her chest and she tried to shift nervously but his fingers suddenly dug into her. "Don't!"

She was even more embarrassed. "Let go!" Her voice was a quavering hiss that cut off when their eyes met again. His were much darker than usual. "Shut up!" The carpenter snapped back at her. "Just…Just hold on!"

It was at least a _little_ comforting to realize his heart was pounding just as loud and fast as hers was…and then he spoke again and she forgot about all that as her fury shot up again.

"We wouldn't _be_ in this mess if you hadn't-"

"Don't you even _dare_!" She cut him off, one hand thumping him on the chest. "_You're _the one who started this!"

He was looking angry again too, (which relieved her a little though she would _never_ admit it!) glaring up at her with his mouth in a hard line. "Who _tripped_ me, Nami?"

"Who dumped their _popcorn_ all over _me_?" She countered, hitting him again. The man underneath her reached up to trap her hand there against his chest, stopping her from thumping him again. "You hit me in the eye!"

She thought she could actually _feel_ her own blood rushing through her veins as her heart rate increased again. "Only because you hit me first!"

His glare intensified since he had no answer. "I hate you!" He snapped; unconsciously the shipwright's hand tightened against her waist again, pulling her all the more closer.

"I hate _you_! Shut up and kiss me!"

He was all too happy to comply. Their usual anger at each other had somehow morphed into something _much_ more pleasant; _she_ certainly had no reason to complain!

The bout of furious/desperate kisses continued for much longer. Paulie's hand had released hers and had somehow tangled in her hair; since hers were trapped in-between them her only choice was to grab him by the front of his jacket and pull them closer together.

Eventually they broke apart again; his head thumped against the ground behind him and hers rested against his chest as she fought to tame her furiously flushing cheeks.

The carpenter underneath her suddenly began chuckling and the navigator couldn't resist peeking up at him with a glare; if he was going to try _blaming_ her again…!

There was a smirk on the blond's face but it wasn't annoying, it was actually very attractive…how had she missed that before?

"Can I consider this our first date?" While she was still gaping at his words he moved; in a fluid-like motion the shipwright had regained his feet, still holding the petite woman in his arms.

Surprisingly gentle Paulie set her down again, though his hands didn't withdraw from her waist.

Thrown off balance mentally and wanting to regain her ground the copper haired woman gave him a weak glare. "When did I say I was going to date you?" It would have been much more convincing without the bright blush and shaking hands on his arms.

He chuckled and then leaned down to be right above her ear. "Are you saying you won't? Because I was pretty sure that's what we were getting at down there."

Nami bit down on her lower lip in embarrassment; she _hated_ that he was so right! "I never said anything like that!" She muttered weakly. "And you won't convince me otherwise, even if you try!"

Oh, she was _so_ full of it..!

Again he chuckled, (sounding _far_ too sexy for his own good!) and then the infuriatingly wonderful man pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I don't think it'll take much trying…but if you insist!" Suiting actions to words his distracting lips moved down to press more kisses into her neck.

She whimpered, fingers tightening on his arms, and legs shaking…if he kept that up she'd fall down! "O-okay!" Her voice was barely a squeak. "I'll date you!"

To both her relief and disappointment the shipwright drew back to smirk at her from his full height. "Aww…you take all the fun of convincing you out of it!"

Finally able to breath clearly again Nami released his arms to put her hands on her slim hips and mock glare at him…the angry look melted and she found herself smiling up at him coyly from under her lashes.

"Oh it's okay Paulie…" Her voice came out in a purr. "I'm sure you'll eventually have to convince me of something else."

His cheeks reddened again but his smirk didn't drop. "I'll look forward to it then."

* * *

**AN:** Kinda ended abruptly but I just couldn't think of where to go from there. But yay! Those two are so cute! And they make me all cheerful again, (which is good. My poor hubby was like "Why are you aaaannnggrrrryyyy?" when he got home from work.) so huzzah for that too. If anyone is curious the movie they were watching is the same movie in the beginning of Michael Jackson's music video for Thriller. xD I don't care what anyone says; his dancing was sexier than hell! ^-^


	4. What's love got to do with it?

**AN:** Long one I know, but it was fun to write. I don't remember how but my sister and I got onto the topic of magazine articles and what it would be like to write one; since I had already started this one I just decided to incorporate it. It proved to be an interesting challenge. :) Also, I enjoyed making Paulie go slightly insane. :P Ah, should probably mention that this one got to be a little steamy. I don't know how, it just happened...I personally blame the characters. They take over my hands and I don't know what the crap is going on until I go back and re-read it later. :P

* * *

Paulie was both exhausted and disgusted with himself.

In the last few weeks the blond had found his usual focus drifting, which in turn lowered the quality of his work; he regularly paced his office and he had developed disturbing habits such as fiddling with his cigar, twisting his goggles around one finger, and running nervous hands through his hair.

In short, the master shipwright was a total wreck and it was pissing him off.

And it didn't stop with just his changing habits, oh no…the carpenter frequently found himself bouncing back and forth between fury, embarrassment, happiness, and an annoying kind of soppiness that made him act like a fool. He was completely twisted up in the rapidly cycling emotions; it felt like being turned around in circles until you could no longer tell the difference between left, right, up or down.

He had been losing sleep since the night Aqua Laguna had made its annual sweep of the city, which only made him more dazed and jumpy in turns…he was a complete _mess_…and he knew _exactly_ what the cause of all his problems was.

The source of his suddenly unbalanced world was a shameless, petite woman with copper hair that shone in the sun and chocolaty brown eyes that could be as soft as a kitten's fur or as hard as a mountain slope. This pirate…this navigator…this _woman_ was at the center of it all.

And what was the worst part about it? She had no fucking clue what she did to him.

The shipwright slammed his hands down against his desk in frustrated anger. She was very slowly killing him; that _must_ be her plan! No other woman in the world got to him like this…she just _had_ to be doing it on purpose!

But she wasn't…Nami was simply the biggest flirt in existence who could manipulate a person as easily as breathing…She _was_ absolutely shameless, but it wasn't done with malicious intent, so he couldn't really hold it against her, could he?

Unthinkingly the blond pulled off his goggles and began running one hand through his hair.

Paulie hadn't ever believed in any kind of Supreme Being before…but the last few weeks had proven how very wrong he was. There had to be _some_ kind of God, because no one else could make someone so irritatingly wonderful. The lovely pirate was sometimes the embodiment of an angel…and sometimes it felt like she was a devil in disguise…but he was convinced she had been created specifically to torment him.

'_Whatever I did, I'm __**sorry**__ already!'_

There was no answer of course…God or karma or fate; whichever of them was torturing him like this didn't care enough to respond to his desperate thoughts.

Exhausted from more than a lack of sleep the carpenter allowed himself to drop into the chair behind his desk. His elbows rested against the arms of the chair, and his hands reached up to cover his face as he groaned miserably. The world was unfair…

…And becoming more so…

"Hey, you in here?" The object of his obsession chose that moment to open the door and let herself in. "Ah, so this _is_ where you ran off to hide." She grinned at him adorably, both arms wrapped behind her back to hold each other at the elbow while she leaned forward slightly to rock on her feet. "C'mon already! Quit pouting!"

His emotions flip-flopped again as his body and mind reacted to her presence. First there was the exasperating speeding up of his heart, coupled with the heavier heartbeats that made him feel like it was about to come out of his chest. Then there was the burning flush moving up his neck to tinge his ears and cheeks red; followed by the nervous twitching habit…in this case a hand automatically reached up to mess with the cigar hanging from one side of his mouth.

Emotion wise he was somewhere between embarrassed, (she was wearing a low cut shirt and when she leaned forward…well…she was well aware of what her clothing did!) and a happiness tinged anger…in other words, she was flirting to embarrass him, while simultaneously taunting to make him angry, and yet he was _still fucking glad to see her_!

He needed help…professional help…professional _therapy_ help…

"Why don't you piss off?" The blond forced the desire to beg in desperation out of his voice, making sure he only sounded exasperated and angry. "I've got work to do!"

Nami laughed a little, taking his gruff words as her own invitation to come in and sit in the chair in front of his desk. "Oh be nice." She chastised cheerfully. "I came to make sure you hadn't gone off and had a heart attack or something." Still smiling unapologetically she stuck her tongue out at him cutely.

When he didn't respond the copper haired woman allowed herself to relax back into her chair; stretching those short but supple legs out while simultaneously reaching her arms above her head she let her grin turn into a slinky smile, looking at him coyly from under her lashes. "Besides," Her voice dropped to become a smokey purr. "I would _miss_ you if you died…"

The carpenter's whole face was burning now and he was having difficulty breathing as he was trying to swallow and choke on his tongue at the same time.

"Admit it Paulie," She leaned forward again, her lips tilting upwards in the most inviting way. "You'd miss _me_ too…"

He couldn't stand it anymore!

"Out!" The blond leapt to his feet, his face livid; one shaking finger pointing at the door. "Get out of my office you…you…!"

Nami actually looked startled; usually she didn't get such a strong reaction. A small frown formed on her delicate face and his eyes couldn't help but watch as she opened her mouth to speak, to ask if he was alright…he absolutely could _not_ spend one minute more in her presence right now!

"You harlot! You jezebel!" Furiously he slammed the other hand on his desk, ignoring the 'crack!' that announced he had actually broken it in half. "Out! Out! Out!"

Her face had hardened into its own mask of fury when he insulted her, but it cracked and then shattered as his ruined desk split down the middle and then fell to the floor with a resounding crash. The chocolaty eyes he spent so much time thinking about lately widened as they focused on the wood pile, her mouth dropping open, her breath escaping in a gasp of shock.

She was so stunned she didn't move from that position.

Ready to howl in stressed frustration, Paulie was prepared to rip into her some more but his own lungs were drained of oxygen when she looked at him. Nami's entire demeanor told him he had upset, maybe even scared her; small delicate hands clenched in her lap as her legs drew together, almost like she was huddling in on herself. Her lips had firmed into a line but it was quivering and her eyes…the glassy film of tears was visible and behind that he could see that he had hurt her deeply.

The navigator didn't try talking to him again; he watched helplessly as she swallowed hard, stood, and then tilted her head up proudly before turning and walking out.

He collapsed back onto his chair; giving into the tortured groan that had been building in his chest as he dropped his head, strong fingers entangling in his hair.

'_I can't…take this anymore!'_

* * *

If there was any fairness in the world the rest of his day would be depressingly quiet, giving him time to try sorting himself out in private; but there _was_ no fairness…at least, not for him.

Barely half an hour later his employer was knocking on his door, giving a grave look around the room when he entered. Paulie was sitting in the same spot, completely ignoring the destroyed desk, and had been staring at the wall with dull eyes.

Even when his mentor walked in the best the carpenter could do was look up at him miserably. He didn't speak…there really was no excuse for his destruction of company property, but that didn't seem to be on the president's mind.

Careful not to step on any splintered pieces of wood Iceburg-san made his way closer and took Nami's vacated seat. "Paulie." His voice was as calm and even as always, but today it didn't bring him any sense of comfort. For a brief moment he wondered if Iceburg was going to fire him…being the jackass that he was he certainly _deserved_ it.

Unthinkingly the blond's head had dropped and he was staring at the floor again. A weary sigh escaped him but he didn't speak.

"I've been concerned over your health the last few weeks." The mayor began when his student continued to brood silently. "You haven't been yourself Paulie."

Grimly the younger man nodded his head. Yeah, he hadn't been himself…he didn't know _what_ he had been but he didn't think he'd ever make it back to being just 'himself' again.

"You haven't been sleeping well have you?"

Mutely he nodded again.

"I'm aware you haven't been eating well either."

Really…? He hadn't even noticed the drop in his appetite…He shrugged.

The mayor's voice was gentler; for some reason it reminded him of the tone trainers used when they approached an injured wild animal. "You've been losing focus; usually you would have organized workers to begin cleaning up the Aqua Laguna…I'm not blaming you, there's a lot on your plate and plenty of time to get the city repaired. I'm not worried about any of that…I'm worried about you."

Paulie sighed heavily again…Iceburg-san was a great man, one of the best in his opinion…but at the moment he didn't feel like he deserved that kind of worry…he couldn't remember a time in his life when he had felt so low.

The master shipwright mimicked his sigh but then paused as if he was trying to sort out the right words…which were completely unexpected.

"I know love can be…confusing at times, but-"

He was so shocked he actually interrupted his teacher. "What? What are you-? What do you..?" The carpenter stared at the older man in opened mouth shock, unknowing of the panic in his features. "I'm not-"

"Yes Paulie, you _are_, and you _do_." Iceburg-san gave him a stern look, shutting him up immediately. He swallowed hard, his eyes wild, but didn't interrupt again.

"You've been completely turned around the last few weeks," Unhappily he nodded in agreement, he had been thinking that same thing earlier… "You might not be able to see it as well in yourself…but the rest of us see it perfectly. The sudden disinterest in your work, the ignorance of your own basic needs, the way you've all but abandoned certain forms of entertainment that until now have had you completely hooked."

His goggles were in his hands and he was turning them over and over again as his nervousness mounted. Everyone else had already noticed…? Had…had _Nami_ been able to see it…? The thought was enough to make him reach up to his cigar and inhale deeply for comfort. If _she_ knew…he was pretty sure he was screwed beyond any redemption.

"Paulie."

Shaking himself the shipwright realized he had stopped paying attention. Turning guilty eyes towards his mentor he felt worst then ever; Iceburg-san was nodding to himself, a patient but exasperated look on his face.

"Love is sometimes confusing," The older man said again. "But the more you swing back and forth the more you will lose yourself in confusion…" The mayor's voice became even gentler, but his words were still enough to make the blond wince. "The more you will hurt and confuse Nami-san too."

His head dropped again in shame. Obviously Iceburg-san knew about what had happened earlier…looking back on it he had been shouting loudly, it was inevitable that _someone_ would overhear. Nervously he cleared his throat, his mentor let him speak.

"I know I've been…confused…but do I…do I have to _tell_-" He cut himself off and then switched what he had been about to say. "I won't be…this way forever Iceburg-san…I can promise to stay focused, stay _here_," Where he was sure Nami wouldn't come anymore. "And get my work done. It'll only be…" He didn't need to say it…the Galley-La president was more then aware of how much time was left until the Strawhat's would leave.

Unconsciously he shuddered at the thought.

"Nma…I can't tell you what to do Paulie." His mentor's voice had gone back to being the calm and reassuring guide he was used to. "But I will say this…" The older man was quiet long enough that the blond had to look up at him. The master shipwright was watching him seriously and only when he was certain he held all of Paulie's attention did he finish his thought. "I believe that if you hide away in here and don't tell her the truth…you will regret it for the rest of your life."

His shoulders hunched as he tried to curl in on himself miserably. He didn't want to hear that, he didn't want to think about it at all…because if he did the horrible truth was that she would be gone in a week and he would probably never see her again…_ever_.

"I…can't…" Each word felt like another weight being dropped on his chest. "I can't, Iceburg-san…" He stopped himself, swallowing hard. He didn't know how to say what he was afraid of, and he was aware of how much it would hurt just to admit it out loud, so his words came out all in a jumbled rush.

"I can't put myself out there when I know I'll never see her again. And I can't take that chance even if she _does_ plan on coming back some day, because I can't…I-I don't want to…to ruin whatever relationship we have _now_, which it probably would be if I said anything about it…" Of course there was also the fact that he had already fucked up their on-again-off-again friendship by being a self-centered jackass…

He let out a deep breath, all the anger and fury at himself rising back to the surface; unthinkingly he got up and began pacing, his steps getting faster as his brain tumbled from one thought to the next…the blond didn't even realize when he began talking out loud.

"Even if all the rest of that was irrelevant, there's no actual _proof_ that I love her…I don't know _what_ the hell is wrong with me, but just because I'm a little distracted doesn't mean I'm…" One hand was twirling his cigar between his fingers as he almost frantically continued trying to convincing himself.

"Fuck! I don't even _like_ her sometimes! There are times I'd like to strangle that little…! And even when I don't want to kill her, she's a loud and annoying brat, whose _way_ too obsessed with money and not _nearly_ concerned enough about keeping herself covered!"

The younger shipwright's voice continued to get louder and angrier as he worked himself up naming every fault he could think of in the pirate navigator.

"She's bossy, she manipulates people, and she doesn't give a _damn_ about anyone's safety but her own! She's all the things I dislike in women…I don't love her, I probably _hate_ her!"

…He was full of shit and he knew it…Nami was a lot of things, (a _lot_ of things,) but her personality was more good than bad. His voice dropped again and his misery began leaking into his tone as, slowly, her good qualities began pouring out, almost against his will.

"She's…she's a brat and…and…and she's brilliant, and funny, and so stupidly naïve sometimes. And she loves her crew and would do anything for them, and she doesn't take any _shit_ from anyone…"

Paulie stopped next to the window and slammed his fist against the wooden frame, shaking the glass panels. His voice was even _more_ miserable than before.

"And she's beautiful, and she can be so sweet, and generous, and…and she _stupidly_ throws herself in the way when it comes to people she cares about…!" He hit the frame again; his tone grew to a mix between frustration and adoration. "That little brat! That idiotic little _brat_ who has no sense but is too damn smart and beautiful and…and just so fucking _amazing_ that I want to _kill_ her!"

He wasn't making any sense, but he was almost pathetically used to it…the last three weeks had been the most trying test on his sanity…if she came back here he would eventually snap and either kill her or kiss her, consequences be damned!

"I hate her…" His words were just a mutter of horrible confusion as the young shipwright closed his eyes and let his forehead hit the cool glass gently. "And I hate how much I love her…"

"Could you really remain satisfied with only a friendship?"

Paulie's head jerked back up; he had completely _forgotten_ the other man in the room! Choking on embarrassment the blond looked back at his teacher. Iceburg-san was still sitting in the other chair, his face mild as he fed a small bit of bread to his pet mouse.

Embarrassed or not…the master shipwright had asked him a question and he had to answer…

"I don't see how I have any choice, sir…" Looking down to avoid the older carpenter's eyes his voice was very soft. "If that's what _she_…well, I'll have to apologize for today, won't I?"

Without looking he could tell the mayor was smiling by the sound of his voice. "That would be a very wise thing to do, I think."

Paulie nodded even though he was pretty sure Iceburg-san wasn't looking at him. "Yeah…I just…lost my temper. I'm sorry, sir."

There was the slightest scuffing sound as his teacher rose from his chair. "That's fine Paulie…I just ask that you not do it too often…there are a number of things you're capable of breaking when you're angry, and some of them are much more expensive than a desk...Such as Water 7." The innocent tone made the younger carpenter chuckle slightly.

"For today…go home and get some rest."

He grimaced…if he went home all he would do is stare at the ceiling and think about her…but if Iceburg-san was determined than he was going to get kicked out of the shipyards sooner or later.

"I'd like to finish what I was working on…ah…earlier." The heat in his face hadn't faded entirely; now that he was coming out of his depression, (at least a little,) he was beginning to feel very embarrassed that he had lost control of himself so easily in the first place.

"I understand." His employer said calmly. "But after that you will be going home."

A tiny smile lifted his lips as the older man left; his last words had _not_ been a request…but at least he'd have a little more time before he was left alone with his thoughts again…

Paulie grimaced at his now junked desk but moved past it without trying to move it…he wouldn't want his teacher to come back and tell him that was enough for the day…

* * *

Unbeknownst to the head foreman news of his "fight" with Nami had already gotten around…and while it wasn't unusual that they argued the fact that the pirate navigator had left the main building in tears was unusual enough to generate much speculation among workers, customers, and visitors alike.

The blond shipwright stalked to the workbench that held his latest project in undisturbed silence. But, as the day had already proven, he had no luck so it wasn't long before the square-headed sisters had sauntered closer and began gossiping loudly.

Paulie's eye twitched as the two women began laughing and chatting over a stupid magazine, but he held himself back from saying anything…the last thing he needed was another fit of temper that would get him kicked out of the shipyards early.

So the young carpenter suffered in teeth grinding silence as the two harpies voices drifted over to him.

"Ooo!" One of them was saying. "This is an interesting article, look! 'How to tell if you're in love!'" The second began giggling and there was the rustle of paper as together they flipped through the magazine to the selected article and began reading to each other.

"There are millions of people we share our world with, and out of these millions we here at FAB believe there is only _one_ who you will truly love; your soul mate." The first woman stopped reading as her sister sighed dreamily. "That's so romantic!" They giggled again and the first took up where she had left off.

"But how can a person really _know_ if they've found their one true love? So many people are confused and disappointed to realize that their chosen mate is _not_ the person they're meant to be with…"

The second square sister interrupted again, "That is _so_ true." Which was met with an affirmative from the first. "But, you know, I think there are _some_ people out there who actually find their soul mate…" She sighed as well. "It's just the matter of _finding_ them, you know?"

Without waiting for a reply the first woman began reading aloud again. "The first rush of mutual attraction; whether its intellectual, social, or physical, can often be mistaken as that sought after feeling of "true love." When one or more person experiences this and rushes into a relationship they later become cynical and jaded because their "love wasn't what they expected." This is a tragedy! And as believers in true love it is our duty to tell _you_ how you can tell if you have found that one special person!"

"Eeek!" One of them squealed girlishly. "That's so cool!"

Together they laughed again and made annoying tittering sounds before going back to the magazine.

"We have finally uncovered five things people need to know before they give up on achieving their greatest happiness!

First: You know how when you first meet someone new and there is the initial rush of attraction? Believe it or not this is _not_ an indication of true love! Many couples who are deeply in love have found that it might take them _time_ to warm up to their special somebody…this isn't indicative of a defective ability to love, it all depends on your own unique personality!"

* * *

Unknowingly Paulie snorted; what idiot would believe this kind of crap?

* * *

"As shocking as it is, it is possible to _dislike_ your soul mate at first! "How can that be?" you think! True love doesn't fall victim to something as mundane as negative feelings!

And you'd be partially right! True love doesn't mean you grow to love someone you hate; it means that such negative feelings were always _only on the surface_! What you really need to realize is that the alignment of your first impression isn't what's important. What's important is the _strength_ of it!

You've met someone that you hated at first sight? Sit back and ask yourself why…Why would you develop such an intense emotion for someone you have never even met before?

People have often discovered, to their shock, that their initial reaction was one of denial. What causes such a reaction? There is no specific reason, once again it all depends on your own special self; who you are and _why_ you are the way you are."

One of the sisters gasped loudly. "I didn't know that! I always thought you'd fall in love at first sight with your soul mate…"

The second sister made a noise of agreement before adding, "It makes so much sense though, don't you think? Hating someone when you first meet them, but really being secretly in love with them?" Both women sighed dreamily again.

* * *

The carpenter's eye twitched more…what a bunch of garbage! Women who were always mooning over this kind of trash really pissed him off. But instead of telling them to bug off he set his mouth in a stubborn line, he didn't want to be forced to leave any earlier than he _had_ to…

* * *

"Second: just because you love someone doesn't mean you won't argue!

People aren't perfect; they disagree, have quarrels, and storm off…but that doesn't mean they don't have _true love_! The biggest reason for fights between soul mates is based in their own insecurities. They're afraid of being mocked for their thoughts or ideas, their afraid of lowering their significant other's opinion of them, or their even afraid of being completely open and honest! These are all signs of insecurities; and how can you combat them? Trust. At some point two soul mates will realize that they have to _trust each other completely_ before they can let go of their own fears!

You've heard it said that 'No man is an island,' right?

All this really means is that a person can't be cut off and alone their entire lives, not if they want to have true happiness…When you have a significant other but don't fully place your trust in them you are basically telling them that _you_ don't love them enough to believe in their ability to except you as you are. Think of that with a reversed role; how would you feel, and how would you act, if someone you loved so completely couldn't bring themselves to believe in your better nature?

Which brings us to the number three; you have to be willing to set aside your own self in whatever way is necessary! It might be hard to tell someone things about yourself. Say you've had a hard past and talking about it hurts…Contrary to most people's fear they will not only feel better after they've talked about it, but they will also feel _safer_!

We've been discussing trust, but is that all there is to it?

Absolutely not!

Setting aside your own self is about more than even that! Selfishness, pride and fear are some of the most important things, but it doesn't stop there. Rarely will a person ever be in a position where they have the choice to save either themselves or another from danger, but that is really the biggest indicator of true love, and the world knows it!

In books and media the idea of "giving your life for someone you love" is often portrayed and romanticized; and why is that? Because the ideal that someone loves you enough to die for you is the ultimate form of true love. A mother would die for her child, or a husband for a wife…why should _you_ settle for anything less? The answer is that you shouldn't! Your true soul mate loves you enough, just as much as you love them!

Believe us, if you are really trying to find your soul mate look inside yourself and see if there is anyone you know that you'd be willing to throw away _anything_ and _everything_ for."

"Oh…" One of the two women sniffled. "That's just beautiful!"

* * *

His hand was beginning to twitch while trying to hold the blueprints flat. He could not _believe _some of the stuff those two harpies would accept as true! Inwardly the shipwright raged at the idiocy of people in general and the unfairness of having to put up with it…even if it made an uncomfortable amount of sense in some ways. It was a complete load of rubbish!

* * *

"Up until now we've been discussing how _you_ feel to determine if you've found your soul mate or not, but we definitely can't forget your partners feelings!

Keeping the first three steps in mind try to look at yourself through _their_ eyes. As stated above sometimes people can live with a sense of denial; you can't decide someone isn't your soul mate just because it _seems_ they dislike you! Do they seem to unreasonably hate you since the day you've met? When you speak to each other do you always clash in some way? Do they always seem angry at you, no matter what you do?

If you've evaluated yourself and found someone that you think _might_ be your soul mate, but they act like they hate you, what should you do?

Well first you had better evaluate, re-evaluate, and then evaluate yourself _again_! We're not suggesting that you might secretly be in love with your worst enemy folks! There are people out there who you might have a genuine reason to dislike, or vice versa; before attempting to approach this person you need to be sure of yourself!

But let's say that you are at least 90% positive that you know someone you couldn't possibly live without…but no matter how you try to talk to them things just seem to go wrong!

Dislike isn't the only barrier that could be in your way; since their personality is a factor too you've got to understand a bit about them. What kind of person are they? Are they cheerful to everyone and always happy? Are they socially uncomfortable and treat people rudely? Are they a major flirt that keeps sending you mixed messages?"

* * *

The carpenter had just picked up a metal yardstick but hearing the last question made him trip up; his grip tightened unintentionally as his ears burned and he ducked his head to stare at the table top, somehow feeling guilty.

Something about it just made him feel…uncomfortable with his own thoughts the blond loosened his grip on the yardstick and then grimaced down at it when he realized there were the slightest indentations of his fingers in it…Muttering under his breath the head foreman resolved to ignore any distractions and finish his work.

Dropping the ruined tool, (shit, he hoped Iceburg-san wouldn't be angry!) he threw himself into the last stretch of the project he had been working on…he just wanted to get it completed and get away from here!

* * *

"Are they shy enough that it's difficult getting to talk to them? Are they kind of distant and cold?

Just as your unique views on life impact your actions towards them, _their_ views can be the same kind of barrier! Every personality has its own driving force, and you need to understand theirs before you can try taking your relationship to the next level. We can't express enough the importance of knowing your sweetheart before trying to make a move!

Which brings us to our last section! By this point we're assuming you have thoroughly explored the first four steps and are still at the very _least_ 90% positive you have found your soul mate. What's the final test, how can you know without a doubt?

This is both the easiest and hardest step to take…going through all those difficult emotional trials has set you up for this one final experiment…which is simply a kiss."

* * *

Paulie's neck began burning again and the flush crept up his face when he heard the two women behind him stop to laugh.

* * *

"A kiss? That's too easy!" One exclaimed.

The second harpy giggled too. "Keep reading! Keep reading! I want to know why you need a kiss!"

There was the rustle of pages and the clearing of a throat before the square headed dismantler went on. "That's right, a kiss! While "true love" is mostly about having an intimate emotional connection, what kind of love would it be if you weren't physically attracted to each other?

Yes, it's easy to sit back and think, "I can already tell I'm attracted to this person." But that isn't good enough. For those of you who have been kissed before but _haven't_ been kissed by your soul mate this is what we mean: You've had that rush of excitement, when your heart pounds and her stomach flutters; maybe it makes you nervous or maybe it's all just routine now…Kissing your soul mate is like nothing you've experienced before!

It's difficult to describe because it's different for each person…the best way we can say it is that you will _know_ beyond a shadow of a doubt!"

Both women groaned. "What kind of answer is that?" But continued to read.

"You think that's an unfulfilling answer? Up until now we've given you ideas and ways to test if you love someone, which are all open to interpretation and implemented with your own personal touch.

But this is the one step where we can give you the irrefutable promise that you _will_ know! You might be nervous or even afraid that you might be mistaken! But once you kiss them there is no way to misunderstand.

We have to caution you that just because you've gone through all these steps and now have a perfect knowledge that you have indeed found your soul mate _doesn't mean they'll be able to recognize it for what it is!_

Their reactions vary depending on a million things! (Personality, how well you know them, location, timing, etc. These are just a _few_ things!) If it seems to be negative, don't despair! Time and patience will overcome all objections, whether driven by insecurities or fear, and that's what _true love_ is all about!

We're willing to bet that when you first picked up this article you might have had a vague sense of what it is but you at least believed the idea that "true love conquers all." Our words may have confused you or made you think it is harder than it is, but everything else comes down to this: True love _does_ conquer all! We absolutely grantee it!"

From behind him there was the rustle of paper again as the woman who had been reading spoke. "You know…" She said thoughtfully. "I think I might understand what they mean…"

"Really?" Her sister groused. "I didn't get it at all! What was all that about 'just knowing'? A kiss isn't enough to make a person sure or unsure if they're in love."

Her sibling giggled. "That's because you haven't been kissed by your soul mate yet."

The second dismantler suddenly laughed again. "Hey, who do you think Aniki's soul mate is?"

"Aniki…?"

* * *

Paulie continued to grimace as he put the finishing touches on his work…he had started by not wanting to leave but now he couldn't wait to get out of here! Those two damn harpies were so bloody annoying! Why couldn't they just go gossip somewhere else?

Relieved beyond measure the blond rolled up his blueprints, it was safe to escape!

But before he had taken more than five steps away from his workbench the two square headed sisters seemed to notice him for the first time.

"Hey Kiwi!" With mischievous eyes and a wide grin the other raised her voice, intentionally making it so he could hear her. "Who do you think Paulie-san's soul mate is?"

The shipwright's face burned hotter than ever before as he swung around to glare at them fiercely…forget keeping his temper! "Shut the hell up!" He shouted at the smiling women. "You shameless hussies! Get the hell out; people are trying to work around here!"

Neither woman appeared to take offense to his words, and the certainly didn't move. "Aw…don't be like that Paulie-san." Kiwi whined. "We're just concerned about your happiness!"

Mozu didn't even both pretending to care; smirking at him she leaned against the bench her sibling was sitting on, crossing her legs to prove that she wouldn't be intimidated away. "Why so bothered Paulie-san?" She taunted him, trying to get a rise. "Even _you_ have to have a soul mate _somewhere_."

As the head foreman began sputtering the other woman giggled behind her hand and then added. "Who knows Paulie-san…she might even be in this _very city_!"

He absolutely hated the fact that Nami's face flashed across his mind. "Get out!" He bellowed furiously. "Why don't you two do the world a favor and drown yourselves?"

They began laughing…_laughing_!

Unthinkingly he stepped towards them, a snarl of frustrated rage lurking in his throat, but a hand caught hold of his arm. He glared over his shoulder at the dark haired shipwright holding him back.

"It's not worth it Paulie." Lulu counseled quietly. "Let it go."

The blond's head shifted back and forth between his nakama and the two women he wanted to strangle.

"You don't have to listen to what they're saying."

Iceburg-san's request that he keep his temper rose through the cloud of angry thoughts to the surface of his mind…grimacing he nodded at the other carpenter and then resolutely turned his back on the two women.

"I'm going home." He said quietly. "Would you tell Iceburg-san for me?"

If his co-worker thought his sudden request was strange he didn't show it; Lulu nodded as he reached up to try flattening his hair in vain. "Of course. See you tomorrow."

Paulie nodded without speaking. When his arm was released he stuffed both hands into his jacket and began stalking away…the two harpies didn't try calling him back…

* * *

Kiwi and Mozu watched the head foreman stomp off angrily; Lulu had already gone back to his own work without giving them so much as a glance.

Wearing matching maniacal grins the two block headed sisters turned towards one another and gave each other a high five.

"Do you think he'll really..?" The dismantler trailed off, her voice sounding hopeful.

"You bet!" Her sibling assured her; her own voice was filled with glee. "Nami-san won't know what hit her!"

Nodding at each other again the two women gathered their weapon of choice, (the newest issue of FAB magazine,) and began the journey home…hopefully by tomorrow everything between the head foreman and the pirate navigator would be fixed.

* * *

Outside the shipyards Paulie found himself wandering aimlessly…he still didn't want to go home and try to sleep…the few hours he got each night were already plagued by his copper haired temptress, he didn't _want_ to know why sort of dreams he'd have _now._

Frowning heavily the blond meandered down one street and up another…

His head was beginning to pound from the jumble of thoughts that filled it. First there was the problem of Nami and how to apologize…then there was the problem of Nami and how to handle their rocky relationship without blowing up again…and then there was the problem of Nami and being in…

He shook his head quickly, trying to force the last thought out. Iceburg-san was _wrong_! He didn't…

…well he _shouldn't_ love her…

Or rather, he shouldn't have admit, even to himself, that he loved her…things might have been stressful before but the last few weeks had been a piece of cake compared with today.

Unconsciously he sighed heavily, feeling lower than ever.

Alright so he loved Nami…maybe…no big deal. It wasn't like she hadn't been driving him mad since the day they had met; she was always getting _some_ kind of reaction out of him, no matter what she did…so actually admitting he had strong feelings for her was just being redundant, right?

But there was still the problem of her leaving, and whether or not he would say something to her about it, and…and…and did he _really_ love her? It was such an all-consuming thought. Not that he could tell if that was a good or a bad thing…

But how the hell was he supposed to figure out what he was going to do if he couldn't even be sure that he _did_ love her?

Paulie kicked at a rock absently as he stumbled on…fuck, he was tired! The smart thing to do was to probably go back home and sleep, as his mentor had suggested…but he just couldn't push himself into doing that…he wouldn't be able to sleep until he absolutely knew for _sure_.

He wandered for almost two hours, inwardly debating how he felt about the frustrating woman…and he probably would have wandered the entire night but…

For some reason he didn't even know the carpenter found himself looking up from the pavement he had been staring at for so long…and there she was.

His immediate reaction was to duck into an alleyway off to the side, and then he thanked whatever fate had decided to give him a break that she hadn't seen him. It would have been the worst if he met her like this and didn't know what to say…

In the safety of concealment the shipwright watched the woman he was mostly sure he was in love with.

Nami was by herself, which was kind of weird, and one bag over her arm suggested she was doing some light shopping…knowing her it was probably because she was bored, even though she had already shopped her way through the giant water metropolis…or possibly because she was depressed.

Feeling even worst than before Paulie guiltily noticed the red rims around her eyes that told him she had been crying. The normally cheerful woman was also ignoring those around her; if anyone got too close she would glare at them so fiercely they would immediately run away. Further evidence of the unhappy state of mind was that the navigator would barely glance at a store before passing it. He watched as she moved closer, staring at the ground and absently kicking a rock in front of her.

With a start he realized she was doing the exact same thing he had been doing for the last few hours. What did _that_ mean? He was more confused then ever…she was acting just as depressed as he felt, but his depression stemmed from his nearly overwhelming and completely inappropriate love…unless something else had happened it seemed like his words had hurt her even more than he had guessed.

The blond groaned as he leaned back against the wall, one hand covering his eyes. If he didn't figure this out soon…he really _would_ go mad! But how the hell was he supposed to tell if he loved her or not?

Against his will his mind brought back the idiotic advice of the square head sister's love magazine…it had guaranteed that a kiss would give you definite proof, whether you loved someone or not…In disgust for even thinking about it the blond dropped his mostly used cigar and ground it into the dirty pavement…that was just too stupid!

…And there was no way in hell Nami would let him near enough to kiss her anyway…

Damn it, he was just _so_ damn tired! He must be in even worst shape than he thought to even be _considering_ it…not that it was an unpleasant thought…

Scrubbing one hand through his hair the shipwright found himself watching her again…in just a few minutes she would be passing him…

What reason could there _possibly_ be that she would allow him to kiss her for…? None, so he really needed to stop thinking about it!

But…she was just so…damn tempting…hypothetically she probably wouldn't _kill_ him for it…although, if he was thinking hypothetically he might as well suppose that she would kiss him back…

In less than a minute she would be at the alley entrance.

Nervously the blond licked his lips…what was he going to do…? What was he going to say…? But he _needed_ to know! His sanity wasn't going to handle the uncertainty of not knowing much longer!

And then she was there and he simply acted without thinking; stepping out in front of her the carpenter literally picked her up and then stepped back into the alley, no one had seen a thing.

Since she had been staring downwards she hadn't noticed him until it was too late, and she must have been so stunned she didn't immediately start screaming for help…When she looked up and realized who it was her eyes had widened momentarily and then they had narrowed as her face reflected her fury.

She might start screaming, or she might walk away…he needed to act first.

"Nami, I'm sorry."

She had taken a deep breath and got as far as opening her mouth but his words made her stop, so she was staring at him with mouth agog…he couldn't blame her; he didn't think he'd ever apologized to her before.

"I'm really sorry…" It seemed easier to say the second time. "Please forgive me."

Her lips snapped shut and her arms folded across her chest but she didn't walk away. She merely glared up at him, but he had to assume she was listening so he went on.

"I've…been under a lot of stress lately and you just…caught me at a really bad time…" The navigator's face remained hard but her eyes seemed to be softening…at least a little.

"I'm sorry you're the one I finally snapped at…" Though he wasn't going to tell her _why_ he had snapped. "But please forgive me."

He waited in nervous silence, looking down from his superior height at the petite woman; she seemed to be thinking it over. Her lips pursed slightly and she was giving him a measuring look. "I suppose…" The pirate finally said slowly. "I suppose I can forgive you…this one time."

He released a relieved breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

But now he was at the worst part…or the best part, depending on how he looked at it.

Ignoring his own thoughts the shipwright nervously ran a hand through his hair as he looked down at her. "Um…What are you doing here?" His voice was weak; it annoyed him.

The navigator was watching him too, her lips slowly curving upwards into a smile. "Nothing much…I had nothing to do." She shifted her hand, bringing attention back to the bag in her hand. "What are _you_ doing here?" One pencil thin eyebrow arched at him when he swallowed nervously.

"Well I…uh…" His voice might have been stronger but his stammering was worst than ever. "That is…um…" He forced himself to grit his teeth and speak clearly. "I need your help."

Nami's demeanor was relaxing completely and her voice had slipped back into the familiar teasing tone. "Oh?" She questioned silkily. "My help? Is that right?"

He felt his eye twitch in annoyance…she was such a little brat!

"Did you apologize just so I would help you Paulie?"

"What? No…!" Hastily his brain scrambled to get back on track. "I need your help to…test a theory…"

A flicker of actual surprise appeared in her eyes. "A theory?" She repeated; he was relieved to notice her voice was normal again.

"Er…" Fighting against the burning feeling moving up his neck the shipwright nervously scratched at the back of his head, his eyes shifting away in embarrassment. "Well…yeah."

To his surprise the copper haired woman chuckled slightly. "Interesting…Okay, what do you need me to do?"

Paulie froze; that was it? She was actually willing to…well, she didn't _know_ she was giving him permission to kiss her but…

When her eyebrows rose again he swallowed and tried to concentrate again. "R-really..? Okay, uh…" His heart had begun racing as his body reacted to her…He was actually going to…

The carpenter closed his eyes briefly, pulling himself together as best as he could. "I'm sorry then…" Looking down at her again he apologized solemnly; ignoring the flash of confusion on her face he couldn't stop himself from muttering, "But I _gotta_ know…"

Her heart shaped face tilted upwards to ask him about it but he took advantage of the movement; grabbing her chin with one hand, the other snaking itself around her waist the shipwright pulled her close.

"P-paulie…?"

Leaning down he brushed his lips against hers lightly for a second, and then he kissed her firmly.

It was absolutely heaven…He forgot about finding out the truth of his feelings for her, forgot everything _except_ her! Whatever part of his brain was suppose to be taking note of the world around them completely shut off; as far as he was concerned it was just the two of them and they might as well be standing in complete nothingness.

"Hm? !"

The little whimper didn't discourage him, in fact it had the opposite effect; the blond's second hand wrapped around her waist too, pulling her petite body even closer until their fronts were flush against each other. He must have lifted her up to achieve that but it was extremely unimportant at the moment.

"Hnn…Hmm~!"

Had he thought he was in heaven before? He hadn't been close.

Nami had stopped trying to pull away; his little pirate's hands slid up his chest and tentatively wrapped around his neck; this time _she_ pulled _him_ closer.

He wasn't sure who opened their mouth first but it didn't really matter…the blond could hardly even register how inappropriately he was kissing her, he was too caught up in her full, velvety lips, warm, teasing tongue, and sweetness of her inviting mouth.

Nami flicked her tongue against his, sending a shock of electricity through his system, and then pulled back. Not wanting to lose even a little bit of her the shipwright tilted his head slightly so he could kiss her even deeper.

"Mmmmm~!" The copper haired temptress moaned into his mouth, her slender fingers clutching at his hair as she pulled him as close as she could. "Mmmm~!"

He made some kind of noise of assent; he wasn't too focused on that, as he kissed her desperately. They would need air at some point but it didn't seem like such a necessity at the moment.

Unfortunately it _was_ a necessity.

Reluctantly he pulled back, releasing her mouth. "Aah..?" Her eyes fluttered open and she gave him another confused look, her lips drawing down into an adorable pout.

If he kept looking at her he was going to kiss her again, and she still needed to breathe.

Instead the shipwright kissed one corner of her mouth and then the other, smiling slightly when she tried to turn her head to make him kiss her fully again. Breathing deeply he noticed the flowery scent of her shampoo, and under that the clean, pure fragrance of her skin.

Wanting to take in and memorize it he leaned forward more and began kissing a gentle trail down her throat. "Mmm~!" Her whimper was even sexier now, especially since it was accompanied by one arm dropping to wrap around his shoulders, the fingers of her other hand tangling into his hair as she tilted her head back and panted softly.

Reaching the junction of her neck and shoulder he was frustrated in his desire to kiss her skin by her pesky shirt; his tongue reached out to trace the lining of her clothing instead.

"Mmmm! Paulie~!"

Whether it was for the good or the bad her saying his name brought him back to his senses. Breathing heavily the foreman drew back from her neck and found himself staring at her flushed face with longing eyes.

Nami's cheeks were tinged a rosy red, and those amazingly kissable lips were slightly swollen, her eyes had been closed again but they flickered open to stare at him in confusion…they were glazed and he could see the same sort of longing in them that he was experiencing. She sighed softly and then tried to draw him close again. "More." Her voice was barely a whisper but it sent a shiver down his spine.

'_S-shit…!'_

He needed to let her go but his body was refusing to do so; instead he hugged her tightly, her head fit perfectly under his chin, as he breathed in the soothing scent of her hair. Absently the fingers of one hand reached up to gently pet her head as the blond miserably squeezed his eyes shut…

That stupid magazine had been right at least…he had no doubt that he was completely in love with her now…

"Shit…" The word was a bare whisper above her as he tried to re-adjust his thinking to the reaffirmed information. He definitely loved her…what…was he going to do…? "Why…?"

He cut himself off as the woman in his arms whispered his name uncertainty; only now did he realize that he had no idea how to get _out_ of the unbearably awkward situation he had created. He had to let her go…but he really didn't _want_ to.

Steeling himself the shipwright gently let her down again, forcing his arms to release her as he stepped back…His pirate stumbled slightly when he let her go but then looked up at him with unsure eyes. "Paulie…?"

Swallowing hard the carpenter forced his eyes to drop; not trusting himself to even look at her for fear his body would betray him and drag her back into his arms. "…Thank you." The words wanted to stick in his throat but he forced them out, his voice raw with emotion. "You've…helped me prove my theory…"

His dejected attempt at lessening the tension failed miserably. The copper haired woman was silent briefly and when she spoke again her voice was soft but her tone was filled with fury. "You wanted to kiss me to test a _theory_? !"

He didn't know what to do…and honestly, he was so far gone in misery the thought of escaping had lost its appeal…she at least deserved the chance to yell at him all she wanted…Shoving his hands back into his jacket pocket where they were less likely to betray him the blond nodded silently.

He heard her breathe deeply; he had never known breathing could sound so _angry_!

"What the _hell_ kind of theory…No, you know _what_? ! I don't _care_!"

Paulie winced, he hadn't wanted to tell her what kind of theory, but he didn't want her to not care either…but his petite navigator wasn't done; her voice was louder and angrier…and her words shocked him!

"I have _had_ it with the way you're either insulting me or ignoring me!" Nami was stepping closer as she yelled at him furiously. "You treat me like I'm some kind of thorn in your side, _when_ you decide to acknowledge me at all! And the _rest_ of the time I apparently don't even _exist_!"

His head tilted up unconsciously and he stared at her with wide eyes, completely shocked…Where was all this anger _coming_ from?

"Well I'm _done_ with that buddy!" She continued, eyes flashing. One small hand came up to point an accusing finger in his face. "And now…_now_ you have the _audacity_ to kiss me for a _theory_?"

She was right in front of him now. Hands settled on her narrow hips as she glared up at him, so close their chests were almost brushing…as _wildly_ inappropriate a time as it was…he really, _really_ wanted to kiss her again.

"Well you _owe_ me asshole!" Hoping to get some space the blond stepped back, and then gulped when she followed him; they did this over and over as she continued screaming at him until his back was against the alley wall.

Now panic was beginning to settle in…if he didn't get some room between them, _quickly_, it was entirely possible that he would go insane and kiss her again…considering this was from one kiss he didn't want to _know_ what she would do to him after a second!

Nami's small, delicate hands left her hips and he assumed she was about to slap him senseless but the pirate shocked him once again.

Grabbing hold of his blue jacket the copper haired woman pulled and he found himself bending to her height. He stared at her, eyes unconsciously wide, shocked more than ever before.

"You _owe_ me!" She snapped again, but she had dropped her voice to an unbearably sexy growl of anger.

Fate, apparently, was finally willing to give him a hand; in that twisted way that only Fate can manage…he didn't need to worry about kissing her on accident because the woman he was in love with did it for him.

Pressed against the wall and caught at her height Paulie had no defense as she simultaneously yanked him towards her and leaned towards him; somehow in spite of her fury he was being rewarded with heaven again.

Confused beyond belief he tried to move back, which caused his feisty little woman to tighten her hold on his jacket and bring him close again. She was kissing him hard, (which he didn't object to,) and he assumed it was the anger she was feeling that fueled her into opening her mouth against his, and _demanding_ he do the same with her tongue.

The shipwright whimpered but did so and found himself trying not to grab her as she slid her tongue past his lips to caress his. Forcefully Paulie shoved his hands behind him to lay flat against the wall, promising himself that he wouldn't grab her, turn her, and press _her_ into it instead.

He groaned as the thought entered his head but his fingers remained glued to the brick behind him.

On her part Nami seemed to be losing anger, but gaining steam. He whimpered again as she pushed up against him, and he could feel every delicious curve. Her hands abandoned their posts on his jacket front; while one crept up to suddenly grip his hair (_painfully!_) the other slid down his chest to his stomach and then inside the blue coat and around him.

He couldn't stand it! Very slowly and deliberately the little minx was pushing at the small of his back, pressing herself into him intimately at the same time.

Tearing his mouth away he gaped down at her. "Nami..!"

Her eyes had darkened to a chocolate mocha color and they glittered up at him, filled with an indefinable longing. "Yeees?"

'_Oh my…!_'

Her voice was a husky purr and as she answered she had very deliberately rose on her toes, with their bodies pressed together he felt every second of it.

"Shiiiiit~!" The carpenter tilted his head back to gain some breathing space, accidentally hitting it against the bricks behind him. He had to do something to stop her before she made him so crazy he'd…he'd…well _damn it_, he didn't know _what_ he'd do! But it would probably get him more than an ass kicking by the Strawhat's cook.

"Do you have _any_ idea what you're _doing_ to me? !" His voice was strangled but he managed to get the question out.

Her own voice was hard and angry again. "Look at me!" She snapped. "You _owe_ me this, dammit!"

Insanity made him look down into her eyes again. "I owe you _this_? ! What the fuck does _this_ have to do with…with _anything_ else? !"

The shipwright swallowed hard as her pouting lips curved upwards into a smirk; belatedly he realized he must have been staring _at_ her lips to notice.

"_This_," She purred. "Is what finally pushed me over the edge with how you _treat_ me…"

His face burned hotter than ever as she drew the word 'treat' out. Her eyelids lowered so he couldn't stare into them…and it made her look _damn_ sexy!

"So _this_," Her smirk grew wider and very suddenly she pushed against his lower back again, bringing their lower bodies together closely. "Is what you owe."

One of his hands seemed to jump off the wall but he stopped it just short of grabbing her; instead it reached over to pound the wall to their side. '_For the love of…!_'

Because he kissed her she was molesting him? What the fuck kind of sense did _that_ make?

"Nami…" Her name was barely a hiss of air from his mouth so he tried again. "_Nami_, I…my theory…"

Oh fuck! Was he really going to _tell _her? !

Looking down at the enticing woman in front of him he decided; if she was all hot and bothered over him he had _no_ problem with that…but he wasn't willing to go farther than a kiss without her understanding what it meant…She was a giant flirt, but to him this was extremely serious.

Using sheer willpower the carpenter gently wrapped his hands around her upper arms and moved her backwards. Nami looked startled and then there was a flash of hurt across her face before she hid it behind anger. "What are you-? !"

"I love you." It felt like the words were dragged from his throat, and some part of him _desperately_ hoped she hadn't understood.

But she had…he could see it. The navigator's eyes had grown impossibly wide, the lust dowsed right out of them, and her mouth had dropped open.

"I needed to know for sure," He wished the ground would open up and swallow him; _anything_ would be better than her completely _shocked_ face. "To…make sure…I love you."

Her mouth had snapped shut again but her eyes were still staring up at him, looking so very vulnerable. If she had really felt that bad about how he treated her…at least she deserved to know _why_.

"You drive me crazy, you always _have_." The words were whispered, almost like he was afraid of saying them too loud. "That's why I…I flipped out earlier…I…You…" His fingers twitched unconsciously against her arms. _Damn it_, this was harder than he could have imagined! "I can't be near you and I try to ignore you because I love you so much…it _hurts_…! I just try to drive you away but I'm hopeless because then I miss you so much I end up right back where I started when I go looking for you again."

Nami shuddered and he immediately dropped his hands from her, his face automatically looking to the side so he didn't have to see the disgust or fury in her eyes…this was _killing_ him!

And then the feisty woman he was crazy about stepped forward and dropped her head against his chest. "Thank goodness…" It was a whisper but it was clear. "I thought I was the only one…"

He shivered as his head snapped back to stare down at her copper hair. The shipwright was at a loss; he _must_ have heard her wrong! "E-excuse me…?" He choked on the words again but she must have understood because she looked up so he could see her.

Nami was…she was crying!

Worried that he might have hurt her somehow he opened his mouth to beg for her forgiveness but her petite arms reached up to wrap around his neck and she hugged him.

He wasn't sure what to do with his hands so he very slowly and carefully placed one on her back and one at her hip; not putting any pressure on her, just resting them.

"I love you."

One can't really explain the perfect moment when you hear those words from the person you love most. Your heart hits your throat and then drops back to its normal place, while every nerve ending in your body goes crazy, and your brain, as well as the world around you, just stops.

At least that's what it was like for him.

Paulie stared over her head at the wall opposite them as his brain tried to comprehend it. Nami loved him…

Nami loved him…?

_Holy __**shit**__! Nami __**loved**__ him? !  
_

"Wha…?"

She wasn't bothered by his inarticulate babble. His little minx's shoulders shook and he realized she was laughing at him, quietly. "Idiot…" Her whispered words were right next to his ear so he heard them clearly. "But I love you anyways."

His body finally caught up; she squeaked as his arms suddenly swept her up, his head bending slightly to be just above her shoulder, and his breath exploded from his chest.

"You…you…!"

He was lucky she didn't knock him in the head as he babbled like an idiot.

Instead her voice told him she was smiling. "Yes Paulie, I _love_ you."

Trembling from more than shock the shipwright pulled back enough that he could kiss her soundly. It was short and left them both breathless but he spoke immediately afterward anyway. "Say it again!"

She laughed openly at his demand and then stuck her tongue out at him. "You first!"

He had _no_ problem with that. "I love you!"

Grinning up at him almost shyly she nodded. "I love you."

* * *

Paulie stood at the edge of the scrap island, staring off in the direction the pirate ship Thousand Sunny had flown off in that afternoon.

The others had already gone back, and he was going to have to sometime soon too…but for now at least the head foreman stood in silence and thought about the petite pirate he had let leave earlier.

It had nearly _killed_ him…But this was the only way and they both knew it. Nami was a free spirit, and while she had hinted about settling down sometime in the future there was still the mission she and her nakama had left to accomplish.

So while it had been one of the worst things he could remember the blond had kissed her goodbye in private, and then watched with the rest of Water 7 as they made a narrow escape from the Marines again.

He sighed glumly but finally turned away from the glistening ocean and began trekking back to the city. He had no idea how long it would take for her to come back; but she had promised him she absolutely _would_, and he believed her.

Cheered by it, (and by the sweet memory of her blowing him a kiss before they had made their escape,) the shipwright stuffed both hands in his pockets and walked back towards his normal life.

He could wait.

* * *

**AN:** I really enjoyed writing this one. It was initially inspired by a one hour challenge but I sorta twisted it around, so I don't feel like I can count it in that category anymore...not to mention it took me more than an hour to write. xD But I hope you guys enjoy, (no, _really_! This is the last one shot I'll have done for a while...) and I'm always cheered by reviews. I haven't asked in a while so if anybody knows of someone _else_ who writes this couple would you let me know? I'm pining for them and I can only re-read my own stuff so many times. xD Anyways, thanks guys! ^-^


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